IL Corn TV: Deep Dive into Precision Conservation Management (PCM)
Tara Desmond
May 19, 2025
In this episode, Greg Goodwin sat down with Laura Gentry to discuss the origin and evolution of the Precision Conservation Management (PCM) program.
🌱 Key Highlights:
- PCM launched in 2015 in response to Illinois' Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy with an initial $5.35M NRCS grant.
- The program delivers value through one-on-one conservation specialists and data-driven farm reports (called RAAPs).
- Laura emphasized the irreplaceable role of our specialists—"You just can't AI that stuff."
- Major recent wins include:
- Scaling partnerships with PepsiCo and Walmart.
- Launching a new initiative with the Kentucky Distillers Association.
- Continuous innovation in using farm data to guide sustainable, profitable decisions.
- PCM helps farmers navigate conservation adoption by reducing financial risk, simplifying complex programs, and offering boots-on-the-ground expertise.
Greg's favorite part of this job? Working with a passionate, mission-driven team to solve complex problems that benefit both farmers and the environment.
Watch full episode:

By Lindsay Croke
•
June 30, 2025
When we think of Independence Day traditions, sweet corn on the cob is as iconic as fireworks and often even more central to the celebration. According to Instacart, purchases of sweet corn surge by 380% over the annual average heading into July 4th, outranking other grilling staples like baby back ribs and burgers. But corn's role in your Fourth of July celebration goes far beyond your plate. In Illinois alone, 8,300 acres of sweet corn are harvested annually, averaging 155 cwt per acre. That’s more than 128 million pounds of locally grown sweetness fueling summer cookouts across the state. And while sweet corn makes a big impression on the grill, most of Illinois’ corn crop isn’t sweet corn - it’s field corn. Less than 1% of the state’s crop is sweet corn, while the rest is used in products that are often invisible to consumers but vital to everyday life: fuel, packaging, fireworks, and even spirits.